ORCHARDS. 125 



Bending Down the Limbs is a mode easily practiced to 

 produce fruitfulness. By doing this, the circulation of the 

 sap is delayed or retarded — the growth becomes less vigorous — 

 the organizable juices and matter increase, and fruit buds 

 are directly formed. The proper time for bending the limbs 

 is the early part of the summer — say during the month of 

 June, when the sap is up and the limbs have become pliant. 

 They are tied or fastened down, below a horizontal line, and 

 forced to remain in this position until the growth of the wood 

 stiffens and causes them to retain permanently the position 

 required for this purpose. It is usual to pin them to the earth 

 by means of forked stakes, the forks inverted and driven in 

 the ground, and when there is danger of chafing or rubbing, 

 the limbs should be protected by soft rags or other wrapping 

 at the places pinned down. Other modes to fasten them to 

 the ground might be adopted, but this is the most simple, and 

 probably the best. When a tree is trained to this position, 

 which is very simple and easily done, it is certain to cause 

 fruitful branches and fine fruit on the limbs so treated. 



Disbarhing and Ringing are modes practiced by some gar- 

 deners, and recomme^nded by some writers to induce fruitful- 

 ness ; but most authors in this country who have written on 

 this subject disapprove of both, and in place of this process 

 keep the bark in a fine green and healthy state, by applica- 

 tions of soft soap or strong soap suds, &c., as a wash ; or, by 

 rubbing hard soap on the stems of the trees and on the lower 

 parts of the large limbs. 



Bandages or Ligatures very tightly wrapped around the 

 limbs will have the same effect, temporarily^ as disbarking and 

 ringing with less injury to the tree and branches. 



OTHER MODES OF INDUCING FRUITFULNESS. 



The productiveness of fruit trees of every description 

 depends very much on the soils in which they are grown. 

 Poor soils stave the trees and reduce the crops, as is w^ell known. 

 Lime stone soils seldom if ever fail to produce fine fruit, 

 and large growth of trees. The largest apple tree perhaps 



